182. The Lady Macbeth of China

Having garnered absolute power through bloody means, Empress Wu Zetian begins seeing apparitions, haunted by her violent schemes. With her husband incapacitated, the Empress at first held counsel on his behalf from behind a curtain. But she soon officially proclaimed herself a divine ruler. Working alongside a prominent Buddhist monk, she built temples and universities in China, creating a new holy land. Yet as the formidable leader enters her seventies, the guilt about how she got to this position begins to play on her conscience… Listen as Anita and William discuss how Empress Wu Zetian grew 7th century China into a Buddhist powerhouse. 

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Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
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Assistant Producers: Anouska Lewis and Evan Green
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
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